Re: New Spells

>> This spell is always cast under the protection of a Spell Mask, for it
>> allows the caster to insert a false vision into any future Spell Echo
>> display.  Without Spell Mask, a Spell Echo will show the casting of this
>> spell and the vision produced by it, effectively neutralizing any impact
>> the vision may have had and revealing to any observers the existence of
>> this spell.  The vision may be of any person known well by the caster,
>> including his or her self, casting any spell known or seen cast two or more
>> times by the caster.  Incongruous visions, such as a priest casting a
>> wizard spell, gives the observers who make intelligence AND wisdom checks
>> an indication that the vision seen has been altered from reality in some
>> manner.  An observer who makes only one of the checks will note the
>> incongruity, but will not realize that the vision itself is at fault unless
>> the observer in question is familiar with the Bogus Spell Echo spell.
>
>Question: What if a vision is created of a multiclassed priest-wizard
>casting a wizard spell, and both checks are made--but the observer doesn't
>know that the priest is also a wizard? (Say the vision-crafter does know.)
>Does he think the spell is genuine? Does he conclude that he probably
>failed his wisdom or intelligence checks, and that this isn't reality?

Oohhh my, you're going to make me THINK on this one, aren't you?

The observer, upon seeing this priest cast a wizard spell, would not know
what to think without further information.  Either conclusion could be
jumped to, the DM deciding or flipping a coin to determine the outcome in
the case of an NPC observer and letting a PC jump to his own conclusion.
Careful NPCs and PCs alike would not jump to any conclusion without
research.  To obtain the needed information, they could A] ask the priest
if he could cast wizard spells, B] spy on the priest to see if he could
cast wizard spells or C] interview the people who know the priest to find
out if he is capable of casting wizard spells.  Upon discovering that the
priest can indeed cast wizard spells, it would be reasonable to assume that
the vision would be accepted as shown unless conclusive evidence could be
presented which proved that the priest could not have performed the casting
shown.  Should the PCs A] be lied to by the priest and they believe him, B]
not spy on him long enough to catch him in the act or C] the people who
know the priest either are also ignorant of the priest's wizard spell
casting capabilies or also lie to the PCs to protect the priest, then they
may well conclude that the vision had been tampered with, thus reaching the
right conclusion via a corrupt line of reasoning.  On the other hand, I
think it more probable that they conclude that the spell had been cast by
someone in disguise as opposed to considering vision tampering, as Spell
Echo is presumably a "true illusion".  This was something I had not
considered until you asked .
>
>If a wizard Change Self-s himself into that priest and casts a wizard
>spell, without using any spelltrace-altering magics, does the Spell Echo
>observer make Int and Wis checks? If he succeeds, does he conclude that
>the vision has been faked?
>
In this case, it is not the vision which has been faked, but the priest
himself who has been impersonated.  The original Spell Echo spell
description (Dragon #238, page 47) says nothing about this type of
situation and was no help at all in determining how such a deception could
be detected.  However, it seems that the same conclusions as given above
could still be reached by doing the same research.  None of this answers
the question, though, and I think that I'm going to have to make some
changes to that Spell Echo spell and maybe my Bogus Spell Echo as well.
They need to mesh seemlessly or players will not be willing to suspend
their disbelief in the situation.

>Or are the Int and Wis checks to spot flaws in the illusion? In which
>case, why don't observers get checks *every* time, instead of just at
>incongruous times?
>
I think I assumed that anyone of sufficient level to cast these spells, and
having taken the time and effort to plan their use for whatever their
purpose might be, would also take the time to ensure that there were no
flaws in the illusion.  Perhaps I assumed too much.  Because the Spell Echo
vision is considered to be a "true illusion", incongruous times would
therefore be the only ones that offered any hope of noticing the deception.
Thanks to your questions, I am starting to think that the Spell
Echo spell itself needs to be tweaked a little, and Bogus Spell Echo might
need to be adjusted too.

Thank You!!


Been Had the Fool

"I lost my soul when I fell to Earth.  My planets call me to the Void of my
birth..."
	from 'Space Lord' by Monster Magnet